IMSA schedules a Throw-Back weekend at Laguna Seca

From May 1 to 3, 2026, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca will host the retro edition of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, a themed weekend that kicks off four days earlier with a party in downtown Monterey on Wednesday, April 29.

NASCAR has been celebrating its own retro weekend at Darlington for years, and now IMSA is betting on something similar in California. The Laguna Seca edition includes collectibles, themed activations in the city of Monterey, and an invitation for fans to arrive in their own retro attire and memorabilia.

"We are creating an experience that connects past and present, welcoming veteran fans who remember the golden eras and introducing a new generation," said Mel Harder, president and general manager of the racetrack.

Photo By Porsche

While teams are not required to change their designs, the championship's history offers plenty of material for those who want to do so. Porsche is the manufacturer with the most direct link between classic and current IMSA. The 962 accumulated more than 50 victories in the GTP category during the eighties, with consecutive wins at Daytona and Sebring through teams like Holbert Racing, and today it continues in the main class with the 963 LMDh. BMW won the GTO championship in 1981 with the 320i Turbo, disappeared, and returned in 2023 with the M Hybrid V8, completing one more of its cycles of entering and leaving the championship. Ford competed in GTO with the Capri Turbo and the Mustang during that same era and today returned to GTD with a GT3 version of the Mustang. Chevrolet, with the Corvette as the historical reference in the GT classes since the eighties, maintains its presence in GTD Pro. Four brands with history in the championship and active representation in 2026, meaning Laguna Seca won't have a shortage of references to the past if any team decides to use them.

Photo By IMSA

The party on April 29 in downtown Monterey opens the week with access to the cars, teams, and drivers before the competition begins, a rare opportunity outside the racetrack that IMSA takes advantage of to bring the event to the city.

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, with its 2.238 miles, 11 turns, and the Corkscrew as the most recognized section of American endurance racing, will be the fourth round of the 2026 IMSA calendar. Laguna Seca arrives at this weekend recently recognized with IMSA's "Golden Ticket", an award the series gives to the best organizers among its venues in North America.

Photo By Porsche